The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-05
$REPREsENTATIvE BUREAU.
The South Carolina Legislature Remod--
cling the Department of Agricult re-.

7 cling the Department OF Agfleui' re-
V"rhe substitute, bill to>feorgahize
the Agricultural BYreau in the
State, which was Introduced in the
House on Monday, was carefully
drawn to avoid the Objectionable
features contained in the original
bill, and was passed, very properly
we think, without opposition. \
The Board Of Agriculture, on the
proposed basis Of reorganization,
will consist of ten persons, who shall
be elected by the Legislature for
two years, and who are required to-
be "agriculturists.' There is some
indefiniteness about this term, Of
course, but the promoters of the bill
made no objection to it, and it may
safely be left to the farmers in and
out of the Legislature to see that
bona fde representatives of their
class and interests shall be chosen
when the elections are held. Va
cancies in the board are likewise to
be filled by the Legislature, and
suitable provision is made for the
compensation of the members Of the
board during the time which they
shall actually devote to the public,
business. :
The provision for an annual con-
vention of representatives Of the va
rious farmers organizations, in con-
nection with the annual meeting of
the board Of agriculture, for the
purposes Of celebrating and con-
s%ulting with the board "as to wants,
d" prospects and conditions of the
agricultural interest throughout
the State" is somewhat peculiar,
and, as the convention will have no
authority to control the action Of
the board in any way, the combina-
ton may possibly prove to be pro-
ductive of more trouble than benefit.
In this matter also, however, some
thing is left to the common sense
and common interest of the farmers,
and any defects in the new system,
which may be shown by experience,
can be readily corrected hereafter.
The hearty and practical cooperation
Of the farmers wih the board, and Of
the board with the farmers, is the es-'
sential point to be gained. after all, and.
if the informal character of the conf
vention will tend to produce this re-
suit, and to bring the farmers and.
their direct representatives into
closer and more harmonious rela-.
tons generally, there will be no Sc
rious objection made to it IN ANY
other account. The arrangement is
of the farmers own devising, more
over. They + satisfied with it;
and the first object with the Legis-
lature now should be to comply with
their reasonable demands as far as
is practicable. We hope, therefore,
that the Senate will follow the ex-
ample of the House, and pass the
bill without captious opposition, or
needless and vexations amendment.
One defect in the bill, however,
requires attention, before it is al
lowed to become a law. AS the bill
now reads, in provides simply for
the election Of a commissioners of
agriculture at the expiration, of the
term of the present incumbent,
"and every two years thereafter"
provision is made for filing Va
cancies in the office which may
occur, for any reason, in the inter-
val between the biennial elections.
1t will not be difficult to supply this
omission, Of course, and it should be
supplied in order to anticipate an
emergency which may arise at any
The above we clip from the
Charleston NeWs and Courier as
showing what the drift of sentiment
is among the farmers of our sister
State. They organized a Farmers
State Convention, and that body
demanded that their Department of
Agriculture should be placed in the
hands of the farmers. Our esteemed
contemporary strikes the keynote
when it says: The hearty and prac-
cical cooperation of the farmers with
the Board IS the essential point to be
after aH." This is just what
we have all the while insisted was
the trouble with our Department.,
and that to secure that "practical
cooperation it should be placed in
charge of practical men who are
identified practically with the great
and leading industries of our State.
And the people will expect u leg
islature to do this. In another ar